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rentier

American  
[rahn-tyey] / rɑ̃ˈtjeɪ /

noun

French.
  • rentiers
    plural
  1. a person who has a fixed income, as from lands or bonds.


rentier British  
/ rɑ̃tje /

noun

    1. a person whose income consists primarily of fixed unearned amounts, such as rent or bond interest

    2. ( as modifier )

      the rentier class

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of rentier

from rente ; see rent 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Pinar Giritlioglu, the Istanbul head of the Chamber of City Planners, said: "Unfortunately, the rentier system instead of science continues to rule everything."

From Reuters Feb. 20, 2023

John Steinbeck’s great Dust Bowl novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” does an excellent job explicating how a financier-promoted rentier society spurred the mass exodus of Oklahomans post–Dust Bowl that resulted in death, loss and exploitation.

From Salon Mar. 29, 2019

Isn't it time we faced the fact that we have what the French call a rentier class in this country?

From New York Times Jan. 5, 2018

What I would like to take up is Adam Smith views on the rentier class, which, for me at least, is a far more intellectually interesting topic than Keynesianism versus… SSVE.

From Forbes Aug. 26, 2014

The nett tendency is towards the disappearance of a reality holding class and the destruction of realities in warfare, and the appearance of a vast rentier class in its place.

From War and the future: Italy, France and Britain at war by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

The hosts, Sydney and Violet Schiff, British rentiers and patrons of the arts, pulled off a coup in a salon at the Hotel Majestic: They brought together five of the greatest artists of the era.

From Washington Post May 18, 2022

And if you can maintain constant revenues at a lower cost basis, that means even more profits for the rentiers.

From Slate Jul. 25, 2018

Today, the relationship has been reversed: the rentiers and inheritors style themselves entre preneurs.

From The Guardian Apr. 15, 2016

“The super-rich today are not rentiers living off their accumulated wealth, as was frequently true in early part of the last century,” he said.

From New York Times Oct. 26, 2011

Most of my comrades, aged from seven to nineteen or twenty, were the sons of well‑to‑do fathers—soldiers, sailors, rentiers, owners of land, public officials, in professions or business or trade.

From The Martian by George Du Maurier

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